AEW Star Swerve Strickland Says He Idolized This WWE Hall Of Famer

AEW's Swerve Strickland is a child of WWE's Ruthless Aggression era and now finds himself sharing the ring with his idols. On the latest episode of "The State of Florida Sports Podcast," the AEW star talked about the wrestlers that inspired him.

"The first wrestler I idolized was Rey Mysterio. I was a fan of Shawn Michaels, but Rey Mysterio was the one I idolized," Strickland said. Once he started training in the business, Strickland started to recognize the greatness of another member of the "SmackDown Six," who was tangling with Rey Mysterio. 

"I really became a fan of Edge and Adam Copeland," Swerve gushed. "That was my guy. I still have his book in my bookcase. I have his DVD. I've studied them meticulously. It's remarkable that I get to call him a friend of mine and a mentor." Copeland debuted in AEW in October, in Swerve's hometown of Seattle, WA at AEW WrestleDream.

Swerve and Copeland became friends in WWE, which grew into a relationship where Copeland would call Strickland after watching episodes of 205 Live and give him notes about his in-ring stance and composure. The two stars have yet to have any interaction in AEW, as Copeland has been tied up in a bitter rivalry with his former friend Christian Cage, while Strickland had been competing in the AEW Continental Classic. Strickland made it to the Gold League finals but lost without being pinned, as Jon Moxley pinned Jay White to win the tournament's Gold League.